Houston Woman Accused of $435K Fraud, Assaulting Feds

HOUSTON, TX – Sharai Poteet, 56, of Porter, Texas, is facing a mountain of federal charges after allegedly scamming Hurricane Harvey disaster relief funds to build herself a lavish $435,000 home. The 20-count indictment, unsealed following a delay due to the recent government shutdown, details a brazen scheme involving fabricated household members and threats against those who tried to expose her.

According to the indictment returned Oct. 9, Poteet submitted fraudulent loan applications claiming eleven individuals – including seven children and a disabled adult – resided with her. This deception allowed her to secure assistance through a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program intended for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Sources within the investigation say the resulting custom seven-bedroom home was the largest the program had constructed to date.

The alleged fraud didn’t stop there. Poteet is also accused of filing three additional fraudulent disaster relief claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) related to storms between 2021 and 2024. But when investigators began to close in, Poteet allegedly upped the ante, threatening to kill a whistleblower in a desperate attempt to silence them.

The situation escalated further during an operation to seize her cell phone. Poteet allegedly assaulted a federal agent and attempted to flee the scene, adding obstruction of justice charges to her already extensive list of alleged crimes. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei announced the unsealing of the indictment, signaling a firm stance against defrauding disaster relief programs.

If convicted of the seven counts of wire fraud, Poteet faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine. Each of the two counts of obstruction of justice carries a potential 20-year sentence, and the assault on a federal officer could add another eight years. Adding to her potential sentence, seven counts of aggravated identity theft each carry a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence, meaning a lengthy prison stay is almost guaranteed if she’s found guilty.

The investigation was conducted by the HUD-Office of Inspector General, with prosecution handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is a formal accusation, and Poteet is presumed innocent until proven guilty through due process of law. However, the evidence presented thus far paints a disturbing picture of calculated fraud and a willingness to intimidate anyone who stood in her way.

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